Major projects undertaken at St Peter's hospital

We've undertaken several key projects with St Peter's hospital on Likoma Island, Malawi. Here are some of the things that African Steps has helped to achieve at St Peter's Hospital:

Building a new x-ray and ultrasound department

the new x-ray department

Prior to the building of the new department by African Steps, the situation of patients in need of an x-ray was desperate. If the case was urgent and the patient was well enough to travel, they would face an 8 hour boat trip and several hour road transfer to the nearest facility on mainland Malawi.

One of the hospital's most urgent needs was an x-ray unit on the Island. The department is now open and x- ray facilities are available to the people of Likoma and those who are able to make the short journey by boat from Mozambique and Tanzania.

The hospital can now accurately diagnose diseases and conditions, such as bowel obstructions and TB. It is now possible to efficiently manage fractures.

Malawi has one of the highest death rates in Africa during childbirth. Recent figures from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey show that 1,120 mothers and 4,200 babies die for every 100,000 live births. St Peter's hospital had a maternity department and delivery suite, but no ultrasound department until the one built by African Steps was opened in 2006.

St Peter's are now able to detect life threatening and other complications, leading to treatment and the saving of many lives. The ultrasound machine is used to diagnose gynaecological complications and also other conditions such as abdominal masses.

Building of 4 staff houses at St Peter's, Likoma

New houses for staff

Due to the isolation of Likoma Island, one of the major issues facing St Peter's is the recruitment and retention of good hospital staff.

In order to encourage clinical officers (and other vital staff) to move with their families to Likoma, the hospital needed to build 5 new staff houses.Over a period of a few years, African Steps has built 4 of the houses needed and  the final house will reach completion soon, hopefully in the Spring of 2012.

Retension of staff

There is no doctor on Likoma Island. A great problem for the healthcare system in Malawi is to retain medical staff once they have qualified. Many doctors emigrate to high income countries like the UK, Australia and USA. It is believed that there are more Malawian doctors in Manchester, England than in the whole of Malawi.

Twins

The situation on Likoma is far more desperate than on mainland Malawi. High living costs (compared with the mainland), isolation, long working hours and "low salaries" make the recruitment and retension of good staff extremely difficult. St Peter's has not been able to offer salaries which cover basic living allowances for staff and so it has been impossible to attract staff to Likoma when life is easier for people on mainland Malawi.

Currently the hospital has vacancies for many of the major jobs. The post of chief clinical officer is vacant and the hospital is reliant on two clinical officers to do the surgical and medical work needed. The clinical officers performs the whole range of surgery needed from bowel resections to ceasarian sections.

The posts of laboratory technician and pharmacy technician are vacant. These jobs are being undertaken by the laboratory and pharmacy assistants, who are doing excellent jobs, but are not fully qualified. There are vacancies for 3 nurse/ midwife technicians ( the hospital needs 18 to be adequately staffed).

Emotional or mental ill health is common on Likoma, but the hospital's post of psychiatric nurse is unfilled.

Following a desperate appeal from St Peter's, African Steps is now contributing towards the cost of living allowances for staff and other incentives.